Lava on the move as flow from fissure 3 crosses Mauna Loa Observatory Road

The lava from the Mauna Loa eruption is on the move with flow from its fissure 3 crossing the Mauna Loa Observatory Road overnight, according to USGS Volcanoes.

USGS tweeted an annotated view of a webcam of Mauna Kea looking toward Mauna Loa, which also showed two new flows moving north downrift of fissure 3.

The eruption on Mauna Loa began late Sunday night. On Monday, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said three fissures were fountaining lava on the northeast rift zone at 100 to 200 feet in height. At 1:30 p.m. yesterday, only the lowest was still active.

Fissure 3 is currently feeding lava flows moving east parallel to the Northeast Rift Zone. These remain at above 10,000 feet elevation and more than 10 miles away from Saddle Road. While Hawaiian Volcano Observatory officials don’t expect the two high fissures to reactivate, on Monday, they said other fissures could open along the Northeast Rift Zone below the current location, and lava flows can continue to travel downslope.

There is no active lava within Moku’āweoweo caldera, and there is no lava erupting from the Southwest Rift Zone. The observatory does not expect any eruptive activity outside the Northeast Rift Zone. No property is at risk currently.

There is a visible gas plume from the erupting fissure fountains and lava flows, with the plume primarily being blown to the Northwest.